Split-foot-knitting machine.



1-. LAWSON.

SPLIT FOOT KNITTING MACHIVE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 2', 1911.

Llfifififi? Patented Dec. 28, 1915.

WITNESSES- JOHN LAWSON, OF CENTRAL FALLS, RHO DE ISLAND.

Application filed March 2, 1911.

To all whom. it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN LAWSON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Central Falls, in the county of Providence and State ofRhode Island, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inSplit-Foot- Knitting Machines, of which the following is aspecification.

The improvement forming the subject of this application for U. S. patentrelates to full automatic stockin -knitting machines for producingsplit-foot stockings. The patent to Hemphill, No. 933,443, of Septemher7, 1909, discloses an example of stockingknitt-ing machine in which theprior art of knitting is embodied, and in which the applicantsimprovements are capable of being successfully employed.

The object of the invention is to increase the efficiency of automaticdouble-feed stocking knittin machines in a simple, inexpensive and eective manner.

To that endthe invention consists essentially in constructing thesecondary knitting-cams whereby they may be temporarily positioned ormoved outward from the face of the reciprocating cylinder to a much lessextent than heretofore practised during the production of the split-footportion of the stocking, thereby at the same time correspondinglyincreasing the degree of engageable area of the buttportion of thelongbutt needles with the thus positioned secondary knitting-cams, whilethe secondary thread is being knitted into semi-courses of stitches. Atthe same time, too, the other or main thread is also being convertedinto semi-courses by means of the normal operative engagement of theshort-butt needles with the main knitting-cams; the butts of theseneedles then moving freely and idly in the space. formed'between thetemporarily outwardly positioned secondary knittingcams and cylinderduring each reciprocation of the latter.

In the accompanying sheet of drawings,

Figure 1 represents a partial top plan view of a double-feedstocking-knitting machine,

showing the main and secondary knittingcams and lmitting-cylinder, thelatter being indicated in horizontal section; the major portion of theoperative devices being omitted. Fig. 2 is'a combined transversesectional view and end elevation, viewed from the left end. of themachine. Fig. 3' is a partial front 'side elevation correspond ngSpecification of Letters l'atent.

SPLIT-FOOT-KNITTING" MACHINE.

Serial No. 611,826.

with Fig. 2. Fig. 4 represents, in enlarge-1'1.

scale, an inner elevation of the radially movable secondary cam-blockprovided with stitch-cams embodying my im rovement;

ment, viewed from the left of Fig. 4.

In a co-pending application, filed by me Patented Dec. 28,1915.

in the U. 8. Patent Ofiice, January 10, 1911,

Serial No. 601,894, is illustrated and described a double-feedknitting-machine, the

same being also adapted to produce splitfoot stockings, and including inits construction main and secondary knitting or stitchcams. My presentinvention, as before stated, relates more particularly to improve mentsin the secondary knitting-cams, such for example as are adapted to bemoved toward and from the needle-cylinder and used in knitting-machinesof the doublefeed type.

In the accompanying drawings a designates the table of the machine,portions being omitted; the table is surmounted by a cam-plate H capableof short'vertical movements. On the cam-plate are mounted the cam-blockD provided with the pair of main stitch-cams arm, the radially movablecaniblock D carrying-the pair of secondary stitch-cams :0 m and thesectional needlesupporting ring-cam M The central hole or bore 7 of thecam-ring and table and also the inner concave faces of both sets ofknitting-cams correspond to andhave substantially the same innerdiameter as the outer diameter of the needle-carrying knittingcylinderN, the latter being represented in horizontal section, 72. indicatingthe needles.

The secondary cam-block D is mounted so as to be moved bodily in ahorizontal plane toward and from the cylinder N by means soon to bedescribed. The opposite sides of the block (see Fig. 4) are beveled atan angle of about -l5- and have secured thereto apair of right and leftstitch-cams :0 m the cam portion proper is substantially wedge-shaped,its point 6 being at the top end. Upper and lower vertically aliningcenter guide members 127. m, respective1y. a.

are located with respect to the cams :u and secured to the inner face ofthe block; these form, in connection with the side cams ai grooves orpaths adapted, when in use, to receive the butts of the needles,substantially as usual. The lower broken parallel lines indicate thepath of the butts needles are in the normal. working plane,

and the upper broken linesit the path ofthe butts of the long-buttneedles when the latter are moved upward out of knitting' action. g p vWhen both the mainand secondary knitting-threads are beingsimultaneously knitted into continuous circular courses of stitches, asin plain double-feed knitting,

the secondary ca1n-block D is in the nward position, all the needles ofthe cylinder then being in the normal or lower plane; so that therotation of the cylinder causes the butts to successively engage theouter inclined face a of one of the cruns, say the right stitch-cam ofthe auxiliary cam-block, see Fig. l, thereby guiding the needles upwarduntil their respective butts engage the adjacent inclined side of theupper guide member of, located intermediate the said upper and lowerparallel needle-paths t 6, respectively; the resulting co-actionsuccessively deflects the needles back into the lower path t until theyengage the lower inclined side of the left stitch-cam, which latter inturn defiects the butts. downwardfpast the heel of the cam tosuccessively cast off the loops from the needles in producing thestitches, followed by moving the needles upward to the lower or knittingplane-again. 1

shown in the outwardly or laterally moved mid-position with respect tothe knitting cylinder. In the represented position of'the main andsecondary cams the machine is adapted to produce the split-foot portionof the stocking from the corresponding knitting-threads, the cylinderbeing actuated in a rotary-reciprocatory manner. The posi-- tion of thea n-controlling means shown in Figs. 2 and corresponds with the positionof the cam-block D represented in Fig. l.

The upper portion of the inner or vertical face 0 of each of thestitch-cams a" is cut away to form a lateral recess or notch n the loweredge of the latter being in substantial horizontal alinement with thelower portion of the said normal butt-path 2, and the upper end of thelower guide member m. The depth of said recessed portion is aboutone-half the width of the inclined surface a, as clearly shown in Fig.As thus devised, the butts of all the needles will, even then, in movingalong the surface n extend suiiiciently beyond the recess, when theblock 1 is inward against the cylinder, to be normally acted upon by thestitch-cams and guide members. Whem'however, the secondary thread is tobe inactive, as during the knitting of the heel and toe pockets, theblock l) is moved outward the maximum distance so that the butts of theshort-butt needles of the then reciprocatin, cylinder will travel"freely and idly past the of secon.-:lary str: .-h--can1s, the lo:

In Fig. 1 the secondary cam-block D is meanwhile moving idly in theupper path 25 The advantages derived by the employment of my improvedstitch-cams m are that when the cam-block D is positioned so as to causethe long-butt needles to be engaged by the cams m to knit the secondarythread into semi-courses of stitches, in cooperation with the knittingof the other thread by the short-butt needles and the cams or" the maincanrblock, in producing. the split-foot portion of the stocking, theblock D is lo cated much nearer the cylinder than heretofore therebyproviding correspondingly increased cani surface for supporting thelongbutt needles when they are in knitting action. As thus devised, thewear upon the long-butt needles is materially reduced, whereas, formerlythe relationof theblock D to the cylinder when producing split-footknitting" was necessarily such that the dis: tance between the normalvertical inner face, as 0', of the stitch-cams and the face of thecylinder exceeded the length of the butts of the shortloutt needles, andthe long-butts were necessarilymaterially longer than with the presentarrangement.

The innnediately following description relates to theconstruction,arrangement and manner of operation of. the means represented for controlling the movements of the secondary cam-block D To anintermittingly actuated cairn-shafts is fixed. a barrel-cam or drum fhaving a narrow sectional cam-like raised rib B secured to itsperiphery. Coiiperating therewith is a light pivotally mounted lever fhaving its front or free end disposed in the path of and arranged tofrictionally engage said rib. and having its opposite or'rear endjointed to a vertically extending link f in turnjointed to the benthorizontal memberof the bell-crank lever pivoted at f to an ear of thetable The other arm of lever f is attached to a link i jointed to a bentlever h pivoted at it to the can'rplate, H; the other end of lever 7t bjo' lt-connected .to the base of the secondary cam-block l Thus it isobvious that the swinging levers 7, etc, are adapted to impart a lateralsliding movement to the cam-block -D the construction and arrangement ofthe parts being such that when the free end of the lever f engages theperiphery of the drum 'xitself, the block will thereby be moved to theinward position, close to the cylinder, as in normal double-feedknitting, but. when in engagement with the highest portions 2') and b ofthe rib B, as in producing the heel and toe pockets, respectively, theblock will. be moved to the maximum outer position, the inactive orlong-butt needles then oscillating idly past the secondary cams. Inproducing the split-foot portion of the stocking, the main cam-bloc l:engaged by is in position so are: needles t.

the corresponding thread into semi-circular courses of stitches. At thesame time, the

" courses and joined to the first-named semiother thread is also beingknitted into semishow 'most clearly the then working relation of the.lever f to the intermediate camsection 0. In this mid-position of thesecondarycam-block the butts of the short-butt needles reciprocate inthe lower plane 25 (Fig. 4). Asthus temporarily positioned, the outerends of the butts of the short-butt needles will clear the bottom orback end of the lateral recesses 71. of the two stitch-cams w. At thesameftime, too, the construction is .such thatupon deflecting thelong-butt needles downward from the inactive plane t to the workingplane t, the butts are adapted to slideupwardly on the inclined surfacen of the cam m (bridging the recess n past the point e and contact withtheadjacent beveled side of the upperneedle-guide m the resulting actionupon the long-butt needles being substantially the same as innormalknittin'g.

The maximum lateral width of the inclined butt-engaging surface n isslightly portion of the butts projecting from the outer face of theneedle-cylinder when the cams-are in the inward position, and having thelateral depth of the recessed or cut-away portion 11. somewhat less thanthe length of the butt portion of the short-butt needles extendingoutward from the cylinders face. Thus, it will be apparent thatprovision is made for the coiiperative engagement of the butts of allthe needles with the stitch-cam s :0 when the cam-blockl) is positionedinward, as in plain double-feed knitting, but when the said cam-block isin the outward .positiomas in producing the heel and toe pockets, noneof the butts can engage the cams, whereas in knitting the split-footportion of the stocking, the last-named camblock then being in the midposition, the

butts of-the long-butt needles will opera moving its stitch cams outofknitting action.

I claim as my invention 1. In a knitting-machine adapted to produce asplit-foot stocking, the combination with the needle-carrying cylinder,of a pair of cam-blocks, a pair of oppositely disposed stitch camssecured to the inner end portion of each of said cam-blocks, and meansfor automatically moving one of said cam-blocks radially toward and fromthe face of the cylinder at predetermined points during the knitting ofthe stocking, the upper portion of the normal inner vertical faces ofthe stitch-cams of the said movable cam-block being cut away orlaterally recessed a limited extent, to form thereacross an unobstructedpassage for the butts of certain needles.

2. In a circular stocking-knitting machine provided with a revolubleneedle-cylinder carrying needles having. butts varying in length, thecombination therewith of substantially diametrically opposed main andsecondary cam-blocks arranged with relation to the cylinder, a pair ofoppositely dis-' posed stitch-cams fixed to the inner end of thesecondary cam-block, the vertical inner faces of the said stitch-camsbeing recessed thereacross to form a passage for the butts of theshort-butt needles, means for moving the last-named cam-block wherebythe shortbutt needles are adaptedto reciprocate idly past in therecessed portion of the stitchcams, as when the split-foot part of astocking is beingproduced, said stitch-cams at substantially the sametime adapted to be 'in' normal working engagement with the butts oftheother needles, substantially as hereinbefore described.

3. A knitting machine having in combination a needle-cylinder, a. maincam-block, a secondary cam-block movable with relation to saidneedle-cylinder, stitch-cams fixed to the last named cam-block, saidstitch-cams being recessed on their inner faces to receive the butts ofcertain needles, a cam-shaft, and means for operating the secondarycamblock from said cam-shaft.

4. A knitting machine having in combination a needlecylinder, main andsecondary cam-blocks, a pair of oppositely disposed stitch-cams fixed tosaid secondary cam-block, each of said stitch-cams being provided with alateral recess in its inner .face to receive the butts of certainneedles, a

cam-shaft, and means operated from said cam-shaft for moving the saidsecondary cam-block radially with relation to the needle-cylinder.

5. A cam-block capable of being mounted for endwise' movement in astocking-knitting machine, a pair of oppositely inclined stitch-camssecured to the inner end of the cam-block, and having the upper portionof each of said stitch-cams provided with a lateral notch or recess inalinement with each other, andwhen the cam-block is normally mounted inthe machine, having said recessed portions in horizontal alinement withand forming a continuation of the lower track or guiding path for thebutts of the working needles.

6. In a rotary stocking-knitting machine having a needle-carryingcylinder, a main cam-block, a secondary cam-hlock, a pair of oppositelydisposed stitchcan1s fixed to the inner end portion of said secondarycamblock, said stitch-cams having a portion of their inner facesrecessed to provide a path for the free passage of certain temporarilyinactive needles, said path also being in horizontal alinement With thenormal knitting plane, and means for moving said secondary cam-blockradially with relation to the cylinden 7. In a knitting machine, thecombination, With a series of long butt needles and a series of shortbutt needles, of main stitch cams and secondary stitch cams, each ofsaid secondary stitch cams being provided with a recess through whichthe short butt needles may pass Without being actuated when saidsecondary stitch cams are in position to engage the long butt needles.

8. In a knitting machine, the combination, with a series of long buttneedles and a series of short butt needles, ofmain stitch cams andsecondary stitch cams, each of said secondary stitch-cams being providedwith a recess through Which the short butt needles may pass Withoutbeing actuated when said secondary stitch cams are in position to engagethe long butt needles, and means for moving said secondary stitch camsradially. i

In testimony whereofI have afiixed my signature in presence of twoWitnesses.

JOHN LAWSON.

Witnesses v CALVIN H., Brown,

Geo. H. REMINGTON.

